Co-driver dies and driver injured in Mull Rally crash

A RALLY co-driver has died and his driver left with serious injuries following a crash at the annual Mull Motor Rally.

Andy Mort, aged 47, was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident which occurred at around 1pm on Saturday October 10. His family have been informed. A post mortem will be conducted in due course and a report will be submitted to Procurator Fiscal Service.

Driver, John MacCrone, aged 46, was airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow to receive treatment for serious injuries.

Road policing officers have begun an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Sergeant Archie McGuire of Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Divisional Road Policing Unit, who is leading the inquiry, said: “For the spectators and participants of the annual Mull Rally, this has been a desperately saddening event. We are working closely with the event organisers in investigating the incident.

“Specialist officers are at the scene and have begun the process of determining the circumstances which have led to this crash.”

Based in Tobermory, Salen and Craignure each year, the competition uses a number of stretches of public roads for up to five hours at a time during 30 hours of competition which started on Friday evening and was due to finish in the early hours of Sunday morning.

A spokesman for the Motor Sports Association said: “As with any serious incident in or around UK motor sports, the MSA is now working with the event organisers and relevant authorities to establish precisely what happened on this occasion.

“The MSA is saddened by this tragic incident and sends its condolences to the family and friends of the co-driver, and offers its best wishes to the driver for a full recovery.